Have you ever been "patted down" going through airport security?
Was rather stunned when I was patted down by a female security officer in Dulles on the way to the UK. My boyfriend wasn't lol. Maybe I looked risky :)
Nope. I don't take airline flights. I take flights of fancy, and there are no screenings.
And seriously, if someone were wanting to use a bomb to kill a lot of airline passengers these days ... the place to do it would be in the TSA security lines at the airport. All those people just standing around, trying to ignore everyone around them. With limited escape routes.
I have been patted down and my luggage gone through many times. The most recent time was last year. First off, I was running late for my flight. This didn't help matters. My flight was boarding. Because of this, I was sweating bullets. This, of course, made matters worse. I told the people at Southwest I was running late, etc...and then heard the dreaded anouncement, "Final boarding call for Southwest Flight 217, Los Angeles to Sacramento." It was a catastrophe. Missing this flight would have a domino effect. As soon as I arrived in Sacramento, I was to pick up my parents, drive them to S.F. airport so they could meet their party and start their one month trip to France. Not making this flight would put a halt to my parents and their friends long-awaited, thoroughly planned, very organized, including a river-boat cruise vacation. I was devastated. Feeling irresponsible and beaten by the system, I started to cry. This turned into sobs. Of course, I had NOTHING to hide. They found nothing. At the end of it all, one of the ladies said, she was sorry. Since 911, they do random checks by number of people. I was that number. I gathered my bags and walked down the corridor. I had to catch the next flight.
Arriving at the empty gate, I saw the plane was still docked. A glimmer of hope surged as I quickly tried to explain to the attendant, "Hi, I'm Merlin and am supposed to be on this flight. Here is my boarding...."
"M-E-R-L-I-N !! M-E-R-L-I-N!!! If Merlin is in the building, please report back to security." This repeated over the load speaker 3 times.
WHAT?!! You Have Got To Be Kidding!!!
I smiled cordially at the attendant as she handed my boarding pass back to me and walked all the way back to the security area. I couldn't believe it. What was the F*&(^%##! B*llSh()&^$t, !!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Then Some you haven't even heard before.
I went to the line where I had been patted down and there were 5 security people present. Now I am totally baffled. Someone must have planted something in my luggage. I've got no reason to be back here. I'm thinking and start replaying all the bad things I have made happen: I've missed my flight, which has made my parents miss theirs, which has put a complete kibosh on a very expensive trip that they have been planning for years with their friends, one that will be the last for my dad because he has Parkinsons's and won't be able to travel overseas again and to top it all off, I had to leave my husband behind so he could work so we could afford to live. I don't have anything you want or anything to hide. What could you possibly be calling me back for? Why are you making my life so hard????? All I want to do is help my parents go on their trip and take care of their animals! Is there some Southwest Crime I'm committing? How could this be happening? Is this a game to make my life hard?
They looked at me and said, "Is this your computer?" It was. In order to claim it, I had to open it with my password. I had a picture of my husband as my screen saver at that time. The lady said, "Who's that? My, isn't he handsome." I smiled, agreed, gave my password, opened my computer and marched back to the gate. I travel a lot but they are short little jaunts. I am not used to traveling with my computer. I have never traveled with it. I was lucky they put two and two together. A point... (a small one,) but a point in their favor.
When I arrived back at the gate, it was full of scrambling people getting off Flight 217. WHAT? WHAT is Going ON NOWWWW??????
As it turned out, the flight was changed. There was an electrical malfunction on the plane and everyone was being directed to various other flights. Even if I hadn't been stopped by security, I still would have been standing in the corridor, changing flights to make it to my parents. Who, did, incidentally, make their trip and had a wonderful time in France with their friends.
The Universe works in mysterious ways!
TRUE STORY, word for word!! :) :)
This post was edited by Merlin at November 1, 2018 12:38 PM MDT
Benedict Arnold 